Deals with Magax
by Starluff
Summary: Rosemary is in grave danger and the only person who can possibly help her is Magax. But will he be willing to help?
1. Chapter 1

**_Seeing as how I'm becoming (slightly) better-known for my Sherlock Holmes fics, some of you might be disappointed (I'm thinking of two people in particular :P). Worry not! I've been writing this fic for almost a year now, I think, and have been wanting to submit it to the Neopian Times; I want to finish editing it so that I'm totally free to write SH fics all July! I hope for lots of one-shots in the future._**

**_Special thanks to my two betas (A.K.A my mom and sister, who are really the greatest betas a girl could ask for!) for editing this for me, as well as suggesting to continue this. See, originally, this chapter was meant to be a stand-alone short story, but they said that it felt more like the beginning of a story than a short story. So. I continued it._**

**_Edit: My sister edited this again, so there are some minor changes. Plus, my story has been accepted in the Neopian Times! First part found in issue 656. So happy :)_**

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Rosemary the Eyrie stood at the gate of the graveyard, heart pounding with fear, dizzy with uncertainty. She kept on switching her gaze from the path she had just come by to the old gate, then back to the path; wondering which was more dangerous. Considering she had been walking around the Haunted Woods for three days now and was still alive and well, her good luck had been nothing short of miraculous. But luck is not known for its consistency and Rosemary was plagued by the thought that hers might have run out.

Her mother had told her that Magax would probably be in a graveyard but no matter what, she shouldn't go in. Even if Rose saw him through the gates, she should never go inside. It was not because graveyards were dangerous, supernatural places; only foreigners would believe such drivel. On the contrary, graveyards could be considered safer than most; ghosts are known to be protective of their descendants and residents of their tribes. In which case foreigners are right to be afraid but Rosemary actually was a native, so she was good on that end. But that was not the issue. If Magax was there then it was logical to suppose that Hubrid Nox might be there as well. And Rose was doing her best not to run into that very Chia.

But if she didn't go in, she might never meet Magax. Wandering around the Woods alone in and of itself was life-threatening; she had to find Magax, and soon.

Somehow, she managed to find a balance between the two: she would watch from the rails and only go in if she saw him. So there she stood, for a good two minutes, in utter torment. Fear was playing tricks on her. She saw scary forms in the dancing shadows and jumped every time an owl hooted.

The reason she was at the cemetery in the first place was that presumably Magax would be found near Hubrid Nox's minions. When Rosemary had sensed a few of them earlier, she had quickly followed them from a distance. She had also thought about how funny her situation was - as she went from tree-shadow to tree-shadow - that she was pursuing her pursuers; about how funny the irony of the situation would have been if she had been in the safety of her home, if she had been doing her chores, walking the streets of her home town or doing anything except what she was doing now.

An explosion sounded from inside the cemetery, making poor Rosemary almost have a heart attack. She looked up hurriedly, trying to see what was going on, but it was too dark and she couldn't see much. There was a faint clang like metal on metal, accompanied by high-pitched shrieks that could not have been uttered by any being with breath in its lungs... and the sound of someone fighting. Not the undead minions of Nox but someone alive and breathing: the sound of grunts and battle cries were carried by the wind over to Rosemary. Was it Magax? Dare she believe that she had finally found him?

Now was the moment of truth: venture into the graveyard on a hunch, or stay outside where she was safer? Then - it could have been her imagination - but she could have sworn she saw some green light, like the light of the ax Magax was said to wield. That decided it. Before she could consider the dangers - like what would happen if it wasn't Magax - Rosemary opened the gate and ran towards the sound of battle like the Pant Devil was after her. (In her opinion, though, Nox was a lot worse than the Pant Devil.)

By the time Rosemary reached the battle, it sounded as if it was over. Four shapeless forms, what Rosemary assumed were Nox's minions, lay on the ground, defeated. Their species were indecipherable, they could have been anything when they were alive, before Nox did whatever it is he did to them. The dust was still settling and small rocks clattered here and there. A dark form crouched on the ground.

It was him. Magax.

From the light of the moon, she could just about make out his features. He was bit shorter than she had imagined. R osemary had always imagined him to be tall and imposing; eight feet or so. But he was only normal sized. Five feet? Give or take a few, she supposed. He wore an open green vest, with sliver around the edges and no shirt underneath, showing off his ripped muscles; black pants with a utility belt that had a pouch and a sheathed dagger attached. A skull necklace hung from his neck, emitting a powerful aura that Rosemary could feel from twenty feet away. The stories said that Nox had given Magax that necklace and that was the source of his powers. Even though he wasn't as tall as she had imagined, he was still intimidating. He exuded an aura of strength and power. He had a fighter's quick movements and his face held an expression that dared anyone to defy him. But more than all of the above, he held the scariest looking ax Rosemary had ever seen.

It was massive: a double-headed battle ax that was taller than Magax was. It looked like it had been made from silver and steeped in some ancient, forbidden magic, giving an unearthly green tinge to it that was like gas fire, lighting up nothing but itself in the darkness. Come to think of it, that's probably exactly how it had been made. The tips of the blades were black as death and, unless her eyes were deceiving her, the air was frosting around the tips.

Magax put his ax away onto his back and turned to walk away. Rosemary panicked and shouted out, "Wait!"

Magax whirled around and his eyes instantly homed in on her. He crossed the distance between them and had his ax pointed at her before she could even speak another word.

"Who are you?" Magax hissed.

Instant fear and panic swept through her as she stared into those ruthless, red eyes. Her mind went blank when she most needed it, making her struggle to form a coherent answer.

"I-I'm Rosemary," she stammered, then quickly added, "Sir."

Magax frowned, "I sense Nox's magic. How do I know you're not Nox?!" When she swallowed and tried to form an answer he barked, "Speak up!"

"No!" She tried to hold up her hands in protest but he swung his battle ax closer to her. She could not move.

Rosemary had predicted and feared many horrible situations, but not this. She had always imagined Nox or something equally horrible would get a hold of her, but she had never even considered that Magax might not believe her! Now that she thought about it, why would he believe her? How could she have been so stupid not to predict this? That even if she got past Nox and all the other monsters and threats of the Woods, Magax was also a problem to be dealt with.

All this ran through her head in seconds, she blurted out before Magax could get any more impatient, "I'm Rosemary and I wish to be your partner!'

Magax frowned with confusion. Of all the things he was expecting, she could tell this was not one of them.

"Please Magax, sir, if you could just move this ax away a bit, I could explain..."

He gave her a suspicious glare, than slowly lowered his ax. It was still in perfect striking distance but at least she could talk now. Rosemary took a moment to thank her lucky stars, then cleared her throat.

"I should start at the beginning. That would be when I first discovered my powers. One year ago I heard voice calling to me from a graveyard, late at night. It woke me from my sleep and I crept out of bed to be closer to the voice. When I answered, it answered back. We had a conversation, though I can't remember what it was about. Next thing I knew, I woke up in my bed so I thought it was just a dream. But I realize now it wasn't."

Magax gave her a questioning look but didn't interrupt.

"Up until two weeks ago, I didn't give it another thought. Even though I would know things about Neopets long dead, what they looked like, who they were friends with, I ignored it. I convinced myself it was an over active imagination. But two weeks ago..."

She shuddered, "I had an argument with a friend. I went to the graveyard to calm down; I wanted some time alone. I started to circle a random tombstone, muttering to myself about everything that had happened and complaining. And then..." Rosemary closed her eyes, taking a deep, calming breath to ease her fears. The memory was still fresh in her mind and relating it to Magax was like reliving the awful experience.

"I heard a voice, someone responding to me. At first I thought that it was just somebody hiding and playing a trick on me. We talked for a bit, about the argument and all. When I became annoyed that he was still hiding I ordered him to show himself. So he did. But he wasn't a live 'pet like I thought. He was a soul, all white and glowing, with red eyes."

Rosemary shuddered again and her eyes went off into the distance as she remembered. "I didn't know it at the time but it was the Neopet I had talked to that night, long ago. H-he stared at me; his red, red eyes looked right at me." She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling chilled suddenly, even though the temperature hadn't changed. "Before I could say anything, he said, 'You summoned me, Rosemary. You summoned me here a year ago and now I am here again because of you'."

"And then I heard someone approaching. It was Rob, the town butcher. He was staring at the two of us and he looked so pale. He was scared of me. Me! Like I was a monster. Then he took off and ran back to the village. I ran after him. I called to him to stop, to help me but he just kept running.

"Rob reached the village a minute or so before me. When I finally arrived, there was a crowd in the square and they were all looking at me. My mom and dad were there. I didn't know what was going on. The mayor told me to come with him. I didn't know what else to do so I followed him and he led me to the town jail. They locked me inside a cell. No one was willing to tell me what was going on. I spent a couple of days down there not

knowing what was going on and what was going to happen.

"On the third day of my imprisonment, I woke up to the sound of steps on the stairs. It was my mother. She was there to explain. Mom told me that everyone was afraid because of the ghost that I summoned. I asked her what she meant by that. I hadn't summoned anything! Mom looked at me sadly and she said, 'Do you remember that night one year ago when you went to the graveyard? I followed you, that night. I saw everything that happened. When you told me about what happened the next morning I convinced you that it was all a dream. Rosemary, honey, you have necromancy magic. It is a very rare magic. The only other live Neopet that I know of that has it is-'"

"Hubrid Nox," Magax cut in, his voice tight.

Rosemary nodded sullenly, looking at the ground, not meeting his eyes. She didn't want to look up and see his expression, afraid that she might lose courage to go on.

"Mother went on to tell me that Rob was an old Neopet and had been around when Nox had attacked our tribe a long time ago. He knew firsthand what necromancy looked like, so he recognized the similarities between myself and Nox. And he knew that if Nox learned of my powers then surely he would try to kidnap me and force me to be his apprentice. So they had locked me up for my own safety. And theirs. The tribe was divided between the people who feared Nox's wrath, and those who didn't want me hurt. Mom left me then, telling me that my fate would be determined in a few days' time.

"Eventually they let me out. It seemed that the mayor had been able to reach an agreement that satisfied both sides. Everyone knows about you and how you're Hubrid Nox's archenemy. So the mayor said that the safest place for me would be with you; plus, if I'm with you, you could help me control my power and maybe I could even help you in your war against Nox.

"They searched around until they found your whereabouts. And then they sent me off with directions. And, well, here I am."

There, the story was over. Still, Magax said nothing. Come to think of it, he hadn't said much of anything, had he? Was he just being polite? Rosemary glanced up at him. He was still standing there with his ax poised, ever ready to strike at her. Rosemary felt fear overwhelm her. What if Magax didn't believe her? What if he just decided to strike her down and be done with it? If, if, if.

Rosemary was desperate. She started babbling, "So, I wanted to go with you. I think I could help you, what with my magic and all. I could, I don't know, dispel anything you want me to or - um..." he still wasn't saying anything, "Please, Mr. Magax, if you don't take me with you then - then Hubrid Nox will come and take me o-or something else will. I don't have a home! I don't have anywhere else to go to! You are my last resort. If you don't take me with you, then..." Rosemary trailed off, wondering what she would do if he refused her. Her own home had thrown her out. They didn't want her any more. All her friends, family, she couldn't go back anymore. What more was there to life? She had never really thought about what she wanted to be when she grew up but she still had dreams. Dreams of being a ballerina, dreams of love, dreams of being a poet.

All dashed.

It was as though her powers had smashed her life, leaving her with nothing that made sense. She had never wondered whether she would have any breakfast, if she would have any rest that night, if she would be safe while she slept. All these things that she had been fortunate to take for granted; safety, food, a place to sleep, a roof; she might just never be sure of having them again. No, if Magax did not take her on then she was a goner. Nox would find her, she was sure of it. And then, bad things would happen. Rosemary had heard the stories about Hubrid Nox, she could guess what would happen. He could kill her, for one, to stop any form of opposition in the future. But she was sure he wouldn't do that, it didn't seem his style. No, he would probably come take her and try to convince her to join him. It would work too, she was sure. With his persuasive powers, there was no doubt. If she had to choose between life as Nox's apprentice and certain death in this horrible place, what choice would she have?

All the desperation drained out of her, leaving her with just a heavy dread of something unavoidable. Fear clutched her chest, making it hard to breath. Suddenly, she felt very, very tired. She bowed her head. All was lost. Was there anything that could be done? Perhaps, perhaps. She would think about it another time. But not now. Definitely not now. That would be too much.

Too much...

"That's still not proof that you're not Nox." Magax said, though he didn't sound nearly as suspicious.

Rosemary looked up and realized that all was not lost. Magax might not believe her but he still hadn't killed her - that had to be a good sign! She still had to try; all was not lost.

"What could I possibly do to make you believe? I'd do anything! Please, Magax, just try me. I won't let you down!"

Magax was silent for a while but this time Rosemary was sure that it was because he was trying to think up a way for her to prove herself. This she could deal with! She felt a stab of hope.

"Um, I don't know, maybe I could..." Rosemary stopped. What could she do? Promise to always do good and feed homeless Puppyblews?

Magax, quite unexpectedly, put away his ax. Rosemary's eyes snapped up at him in surprise. He didn't meet her gaze and turned around. "Follow me."

"Um... where are we going? Do you believe me?"

Magax turned around and looked her straight in the eye. After a second or so he said, "Nox is an ancient Neopet. He uses his necromancy to cheat death and prolong his life, among other things.

"Nox uses his magic purely for death, and so, you can feel it when you stand around him. It is like standing next to the grim reaper himself. You can feel your life being sucked out of your body, as he turns his surrounding energy into his own life force. But you - you are still full of life, sustained by your own life force. You are not cheating death. You have not passed the day you should have died. You are, as of yet, alive. You give off a life-giving energy and so, there is no way you could be Hubrid Nox."

He looked back and continued on, not looking back to see her follow.

Rosemary stood at the door to her house, thinking about what her life had been like when she had lived under its roof. The simple, happy childhood she had known was over. It was as though she had grown up and moved out. That wasn't a bad way of looking at it. She knocked on the door.

Her mother opened up. If Rosemary had made any decision or promise to herself not to cry, it was broken then and there as they shared a tearful but happy hug. Rosemary's mother called to her father and then the hugging and crying started up again. Her father saw Magax standing outside and called for him to come inside. When Magax hesitated he declared that they didn't have all day and any friend of his daughter's had better come inside and have some tea! So Magax came inside and Rosemary's mother made them all a cup of tea.

When they were all sitting on couches, sipping their mugs of tea (Magax was looking highly uncomfortable and Rosemary figured it must have been a long time since he sat in a living room, let alone sip a mug of tea), Rosemary stopped talking of trivial things and got down to the final words and goodbyes.

"Mom, Dad, I know you're worried about me. Frankly, I'm worried about myself. I won't lie: I've started seeing some pretty dangerous situations. But I don't mind that much. I have a chance to really do something for the world. I've talked to Magax and he told me that my powers would really help him, not only to defeat Nox, but also to reverse the effects that Nox has created. Don't worry about me. Magax is really strong; he'll protect me."

They all got up and the family shared one last hug while Magax stood off to the side. When she left her family's arms and headed towards to door, Magax followed. Her father stopped him at the door and looked in his eyes.

"My daughter, take care of her."

Magax nodded, "I swear it."

Her father nodded, satisfied, and let go of his arm.

The two walked off into the night.


	2. Chapter 2

**_So, I just decided, in the end, since it's finished, why not post it? There's nothing wrong with posting two chapters on the same day. What do you think of Nox? *Wags eyebrows* That part (you'll know what I mean when you reach it) is sooooo not going to make it into the Neopian Times and I need to edit it out, but I couldn't completely delete, so I settled for just posting it here :3_**

**_This chapter hasn't been beta'd yet, just edited by yours truly. I'm working on the third chapter (which is one big mess of six pointless, horrible scenes) which is the last chapter and something of an epilogue. Once I edit it, I'll post it here and then ship the whole story out to be beta'd. Once its beta'd and beatified and _finished,_ I'll send it into the Neopian Times and see if it gets accepted. Fingers crossed!__  
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**_Edit: Beta'd and edited! Yay! And, as said in the previous chapter, has been accepted in the Neopian Times! I know I'm repeating myself, but I just can't get over it! Anyway, don't forget to review! I'd love to know what you like/dislike and just generally know that there are people out there reading this._**

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Rosemary's nerves were on edge as she made her way carefully through the graveyard. She had tried to be both silent and quick at the same time but that proved to be impossible, so she had to settle for being silent and slow. Magax, meanwhile, seemed to be floating beside her for all the noise he made. He didn't say anything but Rosemary could tell he was impatient and annoyed by the delay: he was restless and fidgety, looking around him every minute, as though to see if someone was there, and giving her quick sideways glances as if he were wondering if she could go any slower. She couldn't take her mind off the oncoming battle, how bad she might (and probably would) do, and how darned slow and clumsy she was. All the training that Magax had been giving her ever since she joined him seemed to have slipped from her memory; every time she tried to remember even the easiest, tiniest detail, she couldn't remember. Hadn't someone once told her that memories were much like soap: the harder you hold them, the easier they escape your grasp? Was it her mother? Or perhaps Crazy Sally from across the street?

Magax looked over his shoulder again. Jeez, he was making her nervous. Hadn't Magax said that this was just a routine battle that Magax did all the time? Just a regular fight against Nox's minions so she could get some field experience? He stiffened the slightest fraction and Rosemary felt like she had been struck by lightning and she stopped, paralyzed. But then the Wocky relaxed and continued, either unaware of or ignoring his partner's paralysis - which she got over quickly and hurried to catch up.

"So... is there a plan?" At the moment, she just wanted to fill the silence and get rid of the chill she felt, but she felt like this was no situation to talk about how much she'd like a mug of soup (or tea), so she tried for a more suitable question.

"No," Magax said, in the tone of one who had never considered having a plan before. "It's just Nox's minions out gathering materials for him. Just remember what I've taught you and don't panic."

"Don't panic," he says. Don't panic. You're only going to fight for the first time in your life, against minions that have lain waste to many a more powerful and experienced fighter. You're clumsy and prone to dropping your staff, your reaction is slow and delayed. But don't panic!

Magax stopped suddenly. "We're here." Rosemary took a deep breath and found (to her relief) that her earlier dread had been replaced with a feeling of real responsibility and determination. Perhaps all her dread and fear had been used up on the way there.

Magax turned to her. He took a breath, hesitated, then finally settled for: "Good luck."

"Keep safe," she replied softly and then it was over, for they heard a sound. Footsteps, many of them, and then they appeared.

A dozen of Hubrid Nox's minions.

Rosemary raised her staff and felt a shock of adrenaline that fooled her into believing, just for a moment, that maybe she might not fail so badly after all. But then she saw something that shattered her illusion.

It was Hubrid Nox himself.

Lightning, adrenaline - now she had ice in her veins. What was Nox doing here? It was supposed to be a skirmish, just a skirmish! A practice run! If she was going to fail before, with just minions to contend with, what was she going to do now?

Nox smirked at Magax, but then faltered when he noticed Rosemary. He looked surprised for a moment - then confusion gave way to delight and he grinned. Caught unawares, Rosemary quickly tried to straighten herself and try to appear menacing, wondering how much of a fool she looked.

"The young necromancer," Nox drawled. He had a deep, velvety voice that Rosemary might have found nice if she wasn't about to pass out. "I've heard about you."

Quick as a loosed arrow, Magax flung himself at Nox, surprising Rosemary greatly. She had expected him to at least reply.

There was a clang of steel. A minion was between Magax and Nox. Magax - who was surrounded by the same green glow that surrounded his ax and allowed him to fly without wings - jumped backwards then rushed the 'pet and sliced it and met the next one. Remembering who she was and that she was a part of this too, Rosemary rushed after him. Three more minions went down and Nox raised a glowing hand to Magax, while a minion got behind the Wocky, about to stab him in the back. Rosemary's mind could not remember a word of the lessons, but her body did. Without a thought, with a cry, Rosemary twirled her staff and brought it down on the minions head. It cried out but it didn't stop, more or less unaffected.

_Nox's minions aren't like ordinary 'pets. They don't tire and only feel a limited amount of pain. You need to use magic with your staff to do any damage._

Oh, yeah. It was all rushing back to her now that she needed it. The Eyrie took a deep breath and felt for that feeling inside her; her magic. She called upon, only a little, and let it loose into the staff. The staff absorbed the magic like a sponge and began to glow with the same glow the surrounded Magax and Nox's hand.

In her pause, the minion raised its sword above its head. Rosemary just had time to deflect it- _never block, you're not strong enough yet _- and another. The blows were quick and fierce but Rosemary managed to dodge or deflect every one, and her thought process was catching up. She noticed an opening and took it, twirling the staff over her head and onto its shoulder, like Magax had taught her. This attack made a difference, stunning it long enough for her to slam the butt of her staff into its face. Rosemary's first real foe fell. She smiled - and was hit in the shoulder. She cried out and went flying from the force of it, landing heavily on her side. The world spun and she could just about make out Magax calling her name and then there was more of Nox's magic. Magax was busy, he couldn't help her. _Get - get up - you're going to die - GET UP NOW!_ She rolled and used the momentum to get to her feet - and a good thing she did, for the bludgeon that had hit her earlier slammed on the ground where her head had just been only seconds ago.

There were three now, all around her. She didn't know where they came from but it didn't matter; she raised her staff in a protective stance and tried to keep her eye on all three of them at once. They shuffled in perfect coordination that it almost seemed to Rosemary that they were dancing. Then they all raised their weapons at the same time and brought them down at her head. But the Eyrie was too fast. She hit the wrist of one, used the momentum to bring the other end of her staff under the chin of another and sidestepped out of the way of the third. Then she brought the staff around in a circle and stabbed at the third's neck. _Fallen enemies are one less enemy to think about_, Rosemary realized as she didn't even wait to see it fall but spun around to deflect one, two swipes from the minion whose elbow she had hit, then made a wide swipe to its knee. It buckled and she gave the strongest stab she could muster onto its head. She was about to catch her breath and look around for Magax, when she remembered the third one.

She looked behind, just in time to see a flash of steel. Her mind stopped and her body thought for her. Her wings, which were unfolded to help her balance, fully extended, filled with air, and pushed. She went flying backwards, out of the way of the ax. She hurtled backwards through the air then skidded to a clumsy halt. The Eyrie got to her feet and defeated the third. She quickly did a full turn and determined there were no minions near her, then looked for Magax.

She spotted the Wocky making a wide arc at Nox, who dodged nimbly out of the way. Rosemary weighed her options and tried to decide what her next course of action should be - when the ground beneath her feet began to glow. There were runes that glowed with the same aura of necromancy on the ground. She gasped and tried to get away but she couldn't; she was stuck fast. "Magax!" She cried out. Then a force was grabbing her, ripping her away from the bind and throwing her away to safety. Rosemary landed in a heap outside the ring and was up on her feet in a second. Her mind froze from what she saw.

Magax was inside the ring, kneeling, palms pressed on the ground. Their eyes met and Magax mouthed "run" before turning his head to glare at Nox. Rosemary looked from Magax, kneeling on the floor, to Nox, gloating over his victory.

She had a moment and no more. Just a moment as Nox gloated and savored his victory. Nothing more. If she was going to run, she had to run now. Magax had told her to run.

So she ran.

She turned and sprinted out of the graveyard, wondering what had gotten into her, what was she going to do, how would she escape, Magax was caught because of her. It was all her fault but now wasn't the time to dwell on that. She didn't have the luxury to sulk. She needed to run, far and fast. Draw back and figure something out.

Sounds came from behind her, telling her that she was being pursued. Rosemary took to the air, her great wings propelling her along faster but not too fast, so as not to hit any trees. Rosemary was scared of having an aerial battle; it would require more magic than she was comfortable to use. She was terrified of running off alone and leaving Magax behind but what choice did she have?

Rosemary felt like she was simply avoiding trees, not strictly flying, but she had been doing so for a while now and hadn't hit a tree once, so that was good. There was a minion off to her right and another one behind her. She had thought that Nox would have sent all he had after her but all she sensed were those two. Had she and Magax defeated them all?

_Oh no, they're closing in on me!_ With clenched teeth and furrowed brow, Rosemary veered sharply off course and headed straight for the one on her right. She took it by surprise and used the momentum of her flight to stab it in the stomach and then drove it into a tree. She held it pinned against the tree and tried to use the binding spell that was supposed to negate whatever spell Nox had used to animate it. It must have been a Scorchio, but that was a long time ago, when it was a live Neopet with thoughts and actions of its own. Now it was just a minion with dead eyes and Rosemary felt no remorse or pity as the spell did its job and the fight left its limbs. She released and looked quickly around for its partner. She sensed nothing. She looked all the way around, went above the trees and then dropped to the ground to listen. But there was nothing. It must have left. But why? Wasn't she a threat? Wasn't she the only other necromancer in existence who could do what she had just done: undo Nox's spells?

Perhaps... perhaps she wasn't really that threatening. Now that she thought about it, it would make sense if Nox ignored her, for the time being, and made sure his centuries-long arch-nemesis was taken care of. She wasn't that powerful. She was just a fledgling necromancer who couldn't even...

Rosemary put a hand to her mouth and fought back a sob. Tears demanded to be let out but she didn't let them. _Stop that_, she thought. _Stop the sniffling and the tears and the sobbing!_ She curled up into a ball and stayed there for a few minutes, waiting for the attack to subside. When it finally did, Rosemary took a calming breath and stood up. First things first: assess the situation. Magax was... captured. Forget the reasons for now, Rose, just focus. If she were Nox, pompous and confident, who had finally, finally, after so many years, so many centuries, of fighting your greatest enemy, you have him at your mercy. Yes, if she were Nox, she would first work on securing him and making sure he didn't escape, by keeping him locked up and taking him to the most secure place she had. Obviously, for Nox, that would be his mansion. That also explained why the second minion had turned and went back; Nox must have needed all the help he could get to secure Magax and transport him. Rosemary wasn't much of a threat; she had proven that during the battle. She was no match for Nox himself, he would simply deal with her later. Not cheerful thoughts but at least Rosemary could try to form a plan now.

She couldn't let Nox take Magax back to his mansion. That would be a disaster; it was Nox's citadel, his stronghold. Rosemary would have more chance trying to intercept the Chia while going back to his mansion, preoccupied with keeping Magax imprisoned, not to mention tired from the battle with low numbers. Yes, she had to go back. Rosemary took to the air with a flap of her wings and took off the way she had come, trying to form a plan.

The scene was awful, like something straight out of Rosemary's nightmares. Chains adorned Magax's figure so much you could hardly see the Wocky beneath: chains on his wrists, behind his back, on his ankles, around his neck, and the links that linked the chains together. And a metal ball. And a chain between both feet. And five minions each with a grasp on a chain, three in back and two in the front.

It seemed like overkill but despite the amount of chains and muscle, they still seemed to be having a tough time of it. Magax kicked and balked like a rabid beast, pulling this way and that, his captors being tossed around like they were three-year-olds trying to control their massive petpet. And failing.

Rosemary was just steeling her resolve to jump in and help, when she noticed Hubrid Nox. His hands were glowing and he was chanting. That couldn't be good. Before Rosemary could do anything, Nox cast the spell and light fell around Magax. Magax's struggles paused for a moment and when he regained control of his limbs, the green glow had left. It did not come back and his strength had been sapped.

"Don't bother," Nox said with satisfaction as Magax pulled at his bonds, with less success than before. "I sealed your aura. You're no threat now." Then the Chia sighed, a deep, soulful sigh, and smiled. He walked up to Magax and placed both hands on Magax's shoulders. The angry Wocky tried to shrug his off but Nox's dug his fingers into his shoulders. Magax glared mutinously but didn't wince. "How long, Magax?" Nox asked, smiling into his adversary's eyes. "How long have we been at odds? How many times have you foiled my plans? How many?" Nox hissed the last part, his smile suddenly strained, the spell that enveloped Magax shone brighter. Magax gritted his teeth and his head bowed slightly but whatever was happening to him, he was fighting it. Rosemary put a hand to her mouth in horror and got ready to jump out in case Nox was trying to kill him. She didn't know how much good would come out of blindly rushing in, being an amateur necromancer against a centuries-old one and all, but what choice did she have?

The moment, thankfully, passed. Nox relaxed and so did the spell, though Magax didn't relax his glare. "Magax, oh, Magax," Nox shook his head, "Why? You don't have to continue like this. You know, better than anyone, what your fate will be like. You can still change that. You don't have to go through the pain. You can stop this nonsense and go back to what you used to do. You can-"

"Never!" Magax spat in fury. "I will never join you Nox. Not again. Not in this life!"

Nox's manner sobered, his smile became oddly pitying. "Still this? Oh, well, if you insist." Nox turned around and headed toward the mansion - or, at least, Rosemary guessed that that was where he was heading. The minions dragged the rebellious Magax after them. "Truth be told, I wouldn't have believed you if you had agreed to follow me. I still have hopes that you might change your mind in the future but feel free to be stubborn and take your time. In the mean time," Nox's smile widened and the gleam in his eyes sent chills down Rosemary's spine, "I have some foiled plans to avenge."

Rosemary followed after them, wracking her brains out. Nox's pendant was still glowing, even though he was not currently chanting a spell nor casting one. Why? The Eyrie looked back at Magax and found him much as he was before. _Maybe... maybe it was the spell Nox cast on Magax! He must be maintaining it to keep it strong and, for lack of a better word, fresh._ Okay, that was good, wasn't it? It takes concentration to maintain a spell so he would be weaker if Rosemary attempted to affront him. What else though? _Oh! Also! If he's maintaining the spell, that means if he loses concentration, the spell will break_. So all Rosemary had to do was break Nox's concentration. No, that wouldn't be enough. She also had to take out at least one of the minions. How to do that? _Oh, dear, dearie dear..._ They were nearing the mansion this whole time. The more time she spent trying to think of a way to free Magax, the closer they got to his eventual prison. What could she do in the meantime? Oh, what could she do?! It seemed impossible.

Rosemary looked at Magax, thought of everything she owed him. When she had been stuck, he had been the only solution. When she had been in danger and her very clan had banished her, hunted by Hubrid Nox, Magax had been the one to swoop in and rescue her, to protect her and help her when no one else would. And then when Magax took her out, to help her gain experience, she had been the one to fall into the trap and, again, he had saved her.

Now it was her turn to save him. She owed him that. She owed him more.

With renewed resolve, Rosemary stopped. She held her staff in both hands and closed her eyes, focusing on the magic therein. She felt it flow through her body, the way Magax had taught her to feel it and she tapped into it. She opened her eyes. Unfurled her wings. And, as quietly as she could manage, propelled herself forward.

Rosemary hit the nearest spirit in the head, swinging her staff like a baseball bat. The hit made a solid _thwack!_ as if spirit was a solid substance. Rosemary felt her confidence soar as adrenaline came back to her, fueled by the triumph of a solid hit. She turned as momentum carried her past it and put her feet to the ground skidding past a few feet. On impulse, she raised her staff to the heavens, felt her magic course through her veins and brought the staff down on the downed pet's head. Rosemary didn't know what she did or how she did it, but it was different from usual: the point of impact was scorched. It was down and it wouldn't be coming back up anytime soon. Two of the nearer spirits ran towards her but were then knocked off balance by Magax, pulling on his chains. Rosemary smiled, wondering why she felt this way, and turned, knowing who she would see when she did so.

Hubrid Nox stood in front of her looking mildly annoyed; which was a stark difference from the impassive amusement and victory she had seen on him so far. "You made a mistake coming here, my dear," he told her, frowning, "if you think you can beat me, you are sadly mistaken."

Great Kreludor, why!? Why had she thought that this was a good idea? Why had she thought that she, of all people, would be able to go up against Nox and win?

Oh well. _Too late now, I suppose. _

But perhaps she had one last trick up her sleeve.

"We'll just have to see about that, won't we?" Rosemary asked, as if she had all the confidence in the world. The Eyrie unfurled her great wings and was just about to kick off and rush the warlock, when she felt a great force throw her to the side. Rosemary cried out as she hit the ground and tumbled. She tried to get to her feet and grab a hold on her staff but she felt a great weight descend upon her, like a giant anvil. She gasped for breath and got her hands under her and pushed, trying to get up. She heard Nox chuckling but she did her best to ignore him and continued trying to break away from the spell, but it was too much. As quickly as it came, as quickly it went, though, and Rosemary was soon on her feet and had turned to face her greatest adversary, staff brandished out and she snarled. Hubrid Nox stood watching her like he was watching a Puppyblew trying to be intimidating. He raised his hand and Rosemary noticed for the first time that the jewel that held his cloak glowed with Necromancy. The observation didn't do her any good, though, when she found the glow around herself. Her limbs refused to obey; she was paralyzed. Nox slowly lifted his hand and Rosemary's body levitated according to his will. "Let me go!" She cried uselessly, gritting her teeth and she strained her muscles to move. But nothing. Nox cackled and the Eyrie glared at him with everything she had.

"Did you really think that you could do anything?" Nox asked, as casually as if he were asking the time. "You are just a fledgling. You are a child compared to me - yes, and to Magax, too. Don't get cocky just because you're a necromancer as well.

"Do you know what we are?" Nox asked. He seemed different than before. The glow of battle had left him and, for once, he was staring directly at her, instead of through her and sneering at her. But now he seemed to be trying to reach out. Rosemary was mildly creeped out, scared of what this could mean.

"Necromancers?" Rosemary hazarded, wondering where he was going.

The Chia smiled. "Yes, but you don't seem to understand the extent of what that means." He came closer and looked into her eyes, his face inches away from her own. Rosemary shuddered and drew back but Nox clenched his fist and Rosemary was pulled closer. "Do you know why I was the only necromancer in existence, until you came along? Haven't you ever wondered why you've never heard of necromancy, except when it's tied to me? Because, my dear, necromancy is more that uncommon or rare. It practically never happens. I have researched necromancy extensively. Do you know what I found? Other necromancers existed, aye, lots. But never many at one time. There's always a gap between one and the other. Once necromancer is born every couple of centuries, sometimes more, never less. I am the first to crack the code of life and live beyond what a normal Neopet should live. This," he gestured towards the two of them, "is the first time in history that this event has happened. Two necromancers at one time, meeting. Do you realize the importance? This is the first time." Nox reached out and ran a finger against Rosemary's jaw, making her cringe. He only smiled. "My dear," he whispered.

"I'm not y-your 'dear'!" It might have sounded better if she hadn't started stuttering. Why was she stuttering?

"Aren't you?" Nox raised a questioning eyebrow, "you are something of my other half, in some ways. You've only been alive for, what, a decade? Sixteen, aren't you? I've been around for much, much longer." He put his fist under her chin and forced it upward. "Centuries, Rose, so many years. You will learn, with time, the curse of the necromancer. No one has power like you, they're all dead." He smiled, "all except for me.

"Won't you join me, Rose?" His expression was sympathetic and longing, almost like puppy-dog eyes. His voice had gone husky. "We're a pair. There's no one else in the world who will understand you; I know. Since the day my powers developed, perhaps even before that, no one could understand me and what I was capable of. I had to find it all out myself.

"Do you know anything about me? Where I come from? My place of birth? My hometown was much like yours; they didn't like that I could control the dead. No one does. The dead should stay dead - or so they say. Even Magax can never understand this connection with the deceased. All necromancers are destined to lead a lonely path." Nox put his hands on her shoulders, "but we don't have to." His hands traveled from her shoulders to her face and he leaned his close to hers. Rosemary grimaced but she couldn't move, "come with me, Rose. There is so much I can teach you, so much for you to learn, so much that we can discover together." He stroked her cheek with his thumb, "just you and I."

"No. I will never join you, Hubrid Nox. I won't hurt this world just because of my power," she snarled, sounding intimidating, even to herself.

Nox's soft expression hardened into disappointment. With an exaggerated sigh, he took a step back, "I guess Magax got to you too soon. A pity; if I had come sooner, you might be saying something similar to Magax, instead. But alas, if that is your choice," Nox snapped his fingers and the invisible bonds on Rosemary tightened. "I would say that you two might make good cell mates but I wouldn't be so stupid as to put the two of you in a cell together." The Chia warlock turned and walked away, toward the mansion, and Rosemary floated after him. After the battle with Magax and currently holding the binding spell on the Wocky, he was still capable of levitating her like this?

No, wait a second. If Rosemary looked at Magax carefully, she could the glow seemed a bit strained. Just a bit but that meant that if they both fought their bonds at the same time... or better yet, if she could make Nox focus all his attention on her, then maybe Magax could break free. If they could just cooperate, then just maybe they could pull it off. Rosemary looked over to her friend and managed to catch his eye. She gave him a determined look and a nod, mouthing, "get ready." She didn't know how much Magax understood but he nodded in what seemed to be understanding. Nothing left for her but to trust him.

She had to catch Nox's attention, make him panic and focus solely on her. The best way to do that would be to break out of the binding spell he had on her... easier said than done, but this was Hubrid Nox we're talking about. What else would it be but difficult? And so, there was nothing for the young necromancer to do but close her eyes and focus her awareness to the magic within and without. She could make out the magic flowing through her body and at first that was all she could see. But she persevered and followed the path of the magic, feeling it push and pull, flowing, ever flowing, and, slowly, she began to see other things around her. The spell Nox cast began to make itself known to her, wrapping around her body and preventing the movement of her limbs as well as pull her off the ground. Carefully, Rosemary tested her magic against Nox's.

She didn't know what she was trying to do or how to do it. If Nox were to realize she was tampering with his binding spell he would put an end to that quickly but she had to start somewhere. She started with trying to regain movement back into her limbs. She imagined that she was sliding her fingers under Nox's hand and prying it off, finger by finger. Technically, that probably wasn't what happened, but Rosemary didn't know much about magic science to be able to describe it any other way and picturing it in her head helped to actually follow through with it. Rosemary didn't get it off entirely but she did manage to weaken it. She flexed her fingers and found she could do it, if with some difficulty. The time for subtlety was over, now she had to be flashy.

With everything she had, the Eyrie grabbed at Nox's levitation spell and fought it. This seemed to grab the Chia's attention, as he paused in his tracks, but Rosemary didn't pay him any heed and went on fighting. She twisted and turned and fought. In the end, she paused, took a breath, and tried a different trick. She picked at the spell, bit by bit, reaching out from where the spell hit her, along to the source. Some instinct told her what to do, so she did it; she pushed at the source. The spell snapped, like a rope, and the Eyrie fell to the ground with a cry, physically breaking the binding spell on the way down. She fell on her back and stayed there for a moment, looking up to see where Nox was. Without getting up, she quickly put up a barrier around her. It was a pathetic excuse of defensive magic but it might give the warlock an extra step to think about. Nox broke it down as expected - in no more than ten seconds - Rosemary got to her feet and threw a spell at Nox. With a look of ultimate contempt, the Chia knocked it aside and countered with a spell of his own. Rosemary, instead of dodging like she knew Magax would have wanted her to, instead stood her ground and, reaching out and tried to break the spell the same way she broke the binding one, but it was too fast and it hit her, knocking her backwards. Nox, meanwhile, was looking at her oddly, like he was trying to figure something out. Then the warlock's face went dark, almost cautious, and Rosemary knew her time was up. She got to her feet and tried to run. Red bolts of light rained down on the hapless Eyrie. She managed to dispel one, but one in a hundred? The blasts stung like nothing she had ever experienced before. She cried out and dove for cover but was severely wounded. On the ground, she realized that even then that wasn't the extent of the spell: her energy was halved and she felt like she was going to pass out. Rosemary took deep breaths and looked around for Magax. Where was he? Had she done enough to distract Nox enough that Magax could now...?

There was the sound of a crash and Rosemary's spirit lifted. She looked up to find that three of Magax's guards were downed and only one was fighting valiantly. Quickly, the young Eyrie made it to the salient guard and stabbed it. It went down with its brethren and Magax was free. Rosemary took to the air and threw consecutive spells at the advancing, angry Chia, though it hardly made any difference. Magax, floating in the air, his cuffs glowed with green light until they snapped off, both the ones on his wrists and his ankles. The chains fell to the ground with many a rattle and clank. There was movement beside Rosemary and she turned to find the Wocky warrior floating beside, looking a bit disheveled but none the worse for wear. He caught her eye and gave a curt nod. Rosemary wasn't sure if it was meant to be a thank you for saving him or telling her to get ready to fight the big boss but both implications seemed good. Her heart soared at the idea and she turned to their adversary, heart light and confidence blooming with his presence.

The fight was over quickly, with the outcome obvious. Everyone present knew it - except perhaps Rosemary, who could never be sure with these two monsters. After a quick barrage, a speech (which Rosemary was too tired to make out), and a smirk, Nox was gone, effectively cutting his losses and losing any chance he had at recapture. For the moment at least.

There was the pause that comes when you're still waiting an enemy but none were forthcoming. The two traded glances and Magax seemed on the brink of a smirk or something of the kind, when he staggered. With a cry, the younger necromancer caught him and helped him up, worried. How much damage had Nox done to him? It hadn't been that long but did the spell have some kind of side effect?

There wasn't much time to consider that, so without a second thought, Rosemary made for their HQ, Magax limping the entire way.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Oh my god, you have no idea the crisis that was just barely averted yesterday. I use yWriter to write my stories, right? It's so organized, I can't do without it. Anyway, it's freeware and can be a bit faulty. So imagine my horror when I go to open up my story... and find that the file is corrupt. Nothing opened up. I freaked. _**

**_Thankfully, there were backups and the scene I had written had been fortuitously saved in a different place, thus saving it from corruption, so I didn't really lose much. I feel like it was nothing short of divine intervention that saved my stories; strengthened my belief in god, in any case. _**

**_But who cares about that? The story that I have been writing for about a year now IS FINISHED! *Echo, echo...* You can not imagine just how HAPPY I am about that! It's taken so long and I though I would never do, yet there it is! Finished! *Sniffles* It's so beautiful... _**

**_Edit: Edited and beta'd! Yay! As before, don't forget to review; they make me happy :)_**

* * *

"He's not dead," Magax stated, matter-of-fact.

Rosemary looked up at him in surprise, "what do you mean?" The two were standing in a grave yard, which was not out of the ordinary for them. What was out of the ordinary was the identity of Neopet lying under the tomb stone they were staring at. The stone was completely plain and unadorned; Grey, like all the other tomb stones, with nothing on it save the words, "Hubrid Nox". No dates, no quotes, no nothing. "They said that he was murdered by Xandra after she impersonated him. They had solid proof. How can you be so sure...?"

Instead of replying, Magax took out his necklace. Rosemary stared at it, drawn to it. Whenever it came into view, she was inclined to look at it, almost against her will. She didn't know why, though it could have something to do with the fact that it looked like it was made out of the same substance of her staff and Magax's ax.

Magax looked into the necklace and then nodded, grimly. "I don't understand but... his power still exists. If he died, this necklace would lose its power."

"You're talking about the Vow, right?" Rosemary asked tentatively. She never felt comfortable talking about Magax's past. She didn't know whether it was better to wait for Magax to open or ask herself about but so far she just kept with the former. It was his own past, after all; if he wanted her to know he would tell her. If he didn't, then why bug him?

Magax nodded slowly. He didn't stiffen up, the way he used to when she first joined him, but it was obvious he was uncomfortable.

The silence would have carried on for a while longer if Rosemary hadn't continued, "if the Vow is still here, then that means Nox's power hasn't disappeared, right? And if it hasn't disappeared then Nox hasn't disappeared either. So, what, did he fake his death?"

Magax shook his head, "I don't think so. The power of the Vow did falter at one point and was gone for a minute but I didn't think anything about it because it came back. Maybe he died and - found a way to come back?"

"At this point? I wouldn't put anything past him. I'm half expecting him to walk up to us made of jelly and tell us he took over Jelly World." Rosemary half expected Magax not to get it but he cracked a smile. Jelly World was a legend in his time, as well, then.

Suddenly, Magax's face darkened. He looked up.

"No," he whispered. Then he glowered, muttered a dark and vehement, "Idiot!" and with that he took to the air and was zooming off. "Hey!" Rosemary cried. She got up quickly, tripped, took to the air clumsily and fought to catch up. After that, all her concentration was taken up by dodging trees and trying to stay alive while keeping up with the relentless Wocky. After a while, she noticed they were headed in the direction of Nox's mansion.

Indeed, when they got to the mansion, Magax hit the ground running and Rosemary stayed in the air rather than run after him.

"Come on!" Magax shouted as he took off into the mansion, Rosemary wishing he would explain sometime today. The two hurried into the mansion and Rosemary felt a chill enter her body the moment she walked (well, flew) through the doors. She realized: she had never been inside Nox's mansion before. For obvious reasons, of course. She couldn't understand why Magax was in such a hurry to rush into the enemy's territory, especially since they already thought that Nox was still alive but she trusted him enough not to try to stop him.

It was dark outside - but then it's always dark in Haunted Woods - and inside the mansion was no different, yet somehow she could see everything clearly. It was bright enough to see just a little, but Rosemary, for the life of her, couldn't find the light source (not that they were leisurely touring the place that she had a chance to). There was a giant portrait of Nox himself hanging on the wall and Rosemary couldn't help but roll her eyes; it seemed just like something Nox would do. Magax wasn't bothering to look at anything but was speeding through the corridors and doors as if he knew exactly where they were going in the huge place. Sometimes Rosemary forgot that Magax used to work for Nox. Finally, about fifteen corridors and doors, three secret entrances and ten passwords later, they reached a place that was pitch black, in contrast to the dimly lit corridors. The puny light of the dying candle could not penetrate this darkness. Magax didn't seem fazed, he did something that made a scratching noise and next second he was holding a blazing torch and the darkness had to crouch backwards. They were standing on the landing of a staircase attached to the wall, leading down into a circular room that was... empty. It wasn't a room at all, just a big space. There was no floor, just dirt. But the dirt was completely covered in shapes and swirls - writing? Magax was tense and brooding beside her; he didn't seem to like this room very much. His eyes were fixed on something in the wide space and Rosemary, when she followed his gaze, realized the room wasn't so empty after all.

There was a tombstone in the middle. It was big and magnificent, full of carved words and swirls, similar to the writing on the floor yet different, and it oozed with magic. Rosemary's eyes were captured by it instantaneously and she felt her breath get knocked out of her, as if she had been physically punched. She was vaguely aware of Magax shout, and a dark shape flew past her (was it Magax?) but she couldn't take her eyes off the stone. Next thing she knew, she was standing on the carved floor on the same level as the stone. It took up the whole of her vision, except for the letters on the ground that she was just barely aware of in the peripheral of her vision. It wasn't just a stone. It was so... powerful. The magic emanated off it in waves and it pressed around her, the way the water presses around you when you are in the deep. Her breath caught in her throat.

"You are more like me than you realize, do you know? You can't take your eyes off the power..." The stone said. The words ran through her head and she realized it was Nox's voice. Still entranced by the stone, she growled as her senses sighted out the enemy.

It was trying to come out. No, not it... he. Hubrid Nox. It was Hubrid Nox and he was up to something. She could feel the spell around her. She took steps forward, her arms outstretched - until her hands met the cold, cold stone. Pain, heat, power; they entered her system the moment her hands met the stone and she felt, knew, that holding it back was impossible. But she didn't falter for a moment; she clenched her hands and threw everything she had against the spell. There were sounds of the steel against steel in the distance, almost as if it were her imagination, and the sound of a yell, fierce and feral. The stone was glowing and the light was strengthening but her mental hold was around, pushing back. But it was too strong, fighting back and peeping through her fingers that she... just... couldn't...

It was an explosion of light of magic and raw power and Rosemary was thrown through the air, but came to an unexpected slowed stop instead of a quick, absolute one. There was a moment where she thought she smelled candy floss, like at the fairs and the gypsies that used to come to her tribe, a hint of pink in the background against all the black, until that too was swallowed up.

"Drink this," Magax offered her a mug (Magax had mugs? She never knew) of something steaming. Rosemary took it gratefully and took an experimental sip to test the temperature. The drink was rich and sweet; her eyes closed in momentary bliss as she swished the drink around her mouth, tasting the rich flavor. She swallowed and sighed. Magax had gathered all the blankets he owned (plus some that Rosemary's parents had insisted on them taking) and had done his best to make her as comfortable as an Eyrie can be.

"You really lost it that time. Do you realize how close you were to dying?" There was only a hint of anger in the Wocky's voice, mainly he just sounded as tired as Rosemary.

"Was I out for long?" Rosemary asked, incredulous. She couldn't make up her mind if she had been asleep for a long time or only five minutes.

"Out for long?" Magax laughed humorlessly, "you've been out for a week. You only just showed signs of recovering two days ago. I thought you..." he trailed off and stared into space. Rosemary should have been worried about herself but she couldn't help but wonder whether Magax had gotten a wink of sleep this whole week.

Rosemary forced herself to hold back the questions for a bit, she didn't know if either of them could stand it quite yet. She drained her soup and Magax all but forced another down her throat before she warned that another one would make the whole lot come back up. Once she no longer felt dizzy, nauseous, or going to throw up, she decided she needed some satisfaction.

"What happened then? Back at Nox's mansion? The stone, the magic, what was I holding back anyway and-" she cut herself off when she realized she was babbling.

Magax looked down at his hands and the two sat in silence for a while, Rosemary forcing herself to be patient. Finally, he tried, "Let me start at the beginning. This is before I left Nox, mind. Hubrid Nox has always been planning... something. I don't know what it is but ever since I've met him, he's been experimenting, planning, and scheming. He showed me the stone a long time ago and told me it was the most important thing in the entire mansion. He said, 'Magax, this entire mansion, it's really all for show; a play-thing. But this, this is what is important. This is the heart of everything, the reason. You are to protect this with your life and more; whatever it takes to keep it safe and untouched.'

"Well, that's what he said and I've thought about ever since then and I've tried to get to that room after I left but Nox guards it like his life. I don't know what he does with it but I have a theory.

"Nox has always been interested in death. He would hint at it when we used to talk and he's always looking at the interesting cases. I've never considered it before but I think that Nox wasn't interested in death itself but his _own _death."

"What?" Rosemary gasped.

Magax nodded, "Hubrid Nox has been alive for a long, long time. I can only imagine how long, since I came along pretty late along the line. What if he ever got tired of living? Or if he found something else beyond life?"

"Like being more powerful in death? I never considered necromancy could be so capable." Rosemary felt sick.

"Well of course, you're young. You're still in your normal Neopian years and haven't passed into the super natural. Nox has passed it a thousand times over. It's not a strange thought, considering necromancy and just how little of it is known. I think that Nox has, somehow, harnessed the power of the undead!"

Rosemary lie back and let it all sink in. "But you haven't told me yet, what happened?" She continued.

Magax frowned irritably, "I was just getting to that. That day, I was shocked because I was reminded of the stone, so I wanted to get to it before Nox could come - if that was what was going to happen in the first place. But we were a bit too late. It seems Nox is in cahoots with the undead twin Wockies, Lanie and Lillie."

"Oh, I know of them!" Rosemary would have cried out if she had the strength but as it was she could just manage raising her voice a bit, "they attacked my tribe just over two decades ago; my father fought against them. I didn't think they had anything to do with Hubrid Nox, though. Isn't there a difference?"

"Of course there's a difference," Magax scoffed, "up until that, I thought they had nothing to do with each other. I suppose it was only a matter of time before they allied; especially since Nox was planning on dying. But before I continue, I need to know: what happened to you?"

Rosemary went on to explain how the stone had immediately caught her attention and at the end how she had battled against it.

"That explains something, at least. When I entered, I noticed someone was in the room: Lanie and Lillie, probably there to keep me away or help with the spell. In any case, when they saw you, they tried to get to you by any means possible. I didn't let them, of course. They're a royal pain to deal with, since fighting one means fighting both and their biggest advantage is in cooperating. They couldn't beat me, though. It seemed we were both just keeping the other away from you. Then you suppressed the spell they were trying to do. I had to go pretty fast to keep you from slamming into the wall; thankfully the Twins high-tailed it.

"I don't think you prevented the spell but you did delay it. We should go back to the mansion but I doubt it will have any clues; Nox is too careful for that."

"Still, it's worth a look," Rosemary said and Magax nodded.

Of course, they couldn't go see the mansion right away, with Rosemary in that condition. Magax refused to leave her alone and defenseless in the Haunted Woods, and not without reason. So they waited another week for Rosemary to recover before they dared go there. Just as they suspected, the mansion was empty and void, the stone underneath the mansion having disappeared. The books had disappeared and the omnipresent candle light that had been there before was gone. The magic, the presence – all gone. Must have been Nox that powered it all; now that he was gone, so was the soul of the mansion. Since the soul was gone, there was nothing to keep the curious away, and it seemed to be becoming a popular tourist attraction. Magax didn't much care for places that had other Neopets there, so he didn't want to go there more than once. They found something in the mansion of interest, though. None of the documents that included Nox's personal works and experiments but hundreds of books that talked about necromancy and theories. Magax had transported the ones that looked the most important and Rosemary started to do her own research, wondering just how similar she was to the young Nox of long ago, who had just learned of his power.

Instead of warriors, they were now detectives. For some time, they followed the clues and began to talk to people to find Nox (it was Rosemary's idea and she was the one who did all the talking). They confirmed what they already knew and, by some stroke of luck, found out Nox's new location; grudges against Nox were far and wide, and those who didn't want him back were not hard to find. Talking it over, the two theorized that the spell that they had prevented wasn't a resurrection spell but some kind of powerful side effect (like a boost in power or something along those lines). Since they had prevented it once, they continued to prevent it again and again.

But there came a point where they stopped all together. The two decided that Nox had finally managed to avoid them long enough. There was really not much else for them to do but look around and wait for him to show up.

As it turned out, no more than a month passed before they found out.

Alexander Flint never liked to listen to stories. It involved sitting and listening, for long periods of time, and he was never very good at either. But his mother's stories were different. When he was listening to his mother's story, he wasn't sitting or listening; he was fighting off an army, he was saving the princess, he was protecting his humble home. He was leading an army, he was debating over the fate of his country, he was living the life of a non-Alexander Flint. One such story that she would tell him was the story of Magax and Hubrid Nox.

"Do you see that cookie jar?" His mother had asked him after telling him the story. "Of course you see it, you've been eying it all day. You've been wanting to take one or two, haven't you? Even though I told you not to? Don't be shy, I'm not doing this to get you into trouble. You might hold back - and you might not. You might just give in to temptation and have one. But then you'll feel guilty and worried someone might find out and punish you.

"Now imagine someone came and told you that having a cookie at any time is okay. If I wasn't here to tell you that it was wrong and there was someone else to tell you that that's all right, do you think you would do it? Yes, you would, because you want to have the cookie, and that person is giving you the perfect excuse to take it when you want it. No one will be there to tell you that it's wrong and that, now you've eaten it, you will get a stomach ache and won't be able to enjoy having a cookie the next day and the day after that. No, you will just have all the cookies you want and not think of the consequences.

"Such is like Magax's story. No one knows for sure where he was born and raised but he was taken in by Hubrid Nox at an early age. There he was told to do foul things, he was told that bad was good, praised when he did bad and given gifts. Tell me, Ander, if you were in that position, do you think you could have held back from eating the whole jar of cookies? And yet, after years and years and years of doing bad and being rewarded for it, he understood. He had no one to tell him and explain, yet he figured it out. Right and wrong, good and bad. He felt for what he had done, for the cookies he had eaten, and now he works to make amends - that means he's trying to make up for what he'd done; like baking cookies for everyone in the whole town. But what he did was far worse than just eating cookies; so he had to work even harder to make up for what he did. There are people who will never forgive, people who are constantly trying to make him go back to the way he was.

"Yet he still tries to do it, and that is nothing to be sniffed at."

Flint had thought of these words when he had first started his army to protect the land, the Brute Squad. He had thought of these words when he decided that he had to protect the Obelisk in Tyrannia from the power-hungry and ambitious.

He thought of these words now as he walked through the dense trees of the Haunted Woods. He was an Altadorian born and bred, and did not like this... cold. It wasn't freezing, like Terror Mountain, but it was a bone-deep chill that infiltrated your body no matter how much clothes you wore. He couldn't understand how anyone could live here, but to each his own, as his mother would say. And the darkness as well. The best light you could ever get from the sun was sapped by the boughs overhead. So, it was dark, damp, and cold. He wasn't complaining about his adventure, he simply couldn't understand how people could live here.

He had went to great lengths to get here. He had Alhana the Patient behind in his stead to oversee the preparations. They hadn't started recruiting yet, so he should be back in time. It was just an errand he had to see to before the war started. At least, that was what he told them before he took off.

It had been difficult but Flint had many connections so it hadn't been impossible. Now, just around the corner was the grave yard that his informant had told him about. Just a little more now and he should find the Wocky he was looking for.

There he was.

Magax was shorter than he had expected. But despite this, he was still intimidating; and for Flint to be intimidated, no matter how slight, was quite a feat.

The moment Flint took a step through the entrance, the Wocky's ears pricked up. He turned around and, taking in Flint's formidable stature, plus his big mace and even bigger shield, Magax raised his ax but before he could do anything, Flint made the first move.

He put his mace on the floor.

Magax, understandably, looked surprised but he could at least recognize a well-meant truce when he saw one. In any case, he lowered his own ax.

"Magax!" Flint bellowed, with a voice so loud that no one else but him could have done in that cold, damp, unforgiving forest. "I have searched so long to find you! It is a relief, believe me, to see you here."

"Why have you sought me out?" Magax asked, looking puzzled.

"Because I am here to ask you something," Flint replied, as if it were the most normal thing in the world to go looking for a centuries-old Neopet who lived in seclusion. "I am here to ask you to join my army."

"And why should I?"

It was an expected answer, so it didn't put Flint off in the slightest. Of course, even if it hadn't been expected, it wouldn't have put him off. "Because I come with information that might interest you.

"You don't know of the Obelisk that has been dug up in Tyrannia, do you? I didn't think so, but the Obelisk itself won't concern you at all, I'm sure. What I'm here to tell you is this: your sworn enemy has joined the opposite side."

"I've heard about it." He was being evasive but he didn't look like he was about to bolt at a moment's notice; this increased Flint's already-strong confidence.

"Nox isn't alone anymore, Magax. He is now part of an army, the Awakened; going against him means going up against a whole army. What do you expect to do? As powerful as you are, going up against a whole army will be tough. So why not join us? You can help us and get back at Nox at the same time!" Flint may not have sounded very convincing but politics was never really his thing. His true potential lie in the midst of battle surrounded by troops or winning the loyalty of thousands during practice. He was a likeable fellow who could put the need for justice into his army, and his best speeches were the ones explaining how best to crush enemy forces with limited supplies, and inspirational, short, speeches on the honor and glory of battle.

"I created the Brute Squad to contend with exactly this kind of thing!" He bellowed. "There are dangerous things out there, things that we can't even hope to understand, about our world. I'm here to stop the trouble and keep the norm safe! The Obelisk reeks of dangerous power, and thus, trouble!

"And it's not like you won't have your benefits. How long have you stayed in the Haunted Woods, battling Nox? How long were you planning on it doing it? I don't just offer you a way to fight Nox but a way back into the world. And besides, you don't just have yourself to think about; you have a partner now, don't you? An Eyrie, I think?" Magax looked thoughtfully at the ground, which was as close to uncertainty as he would ever show. This satisfied Flint, who nodded. "You don't have to make any decisions yet. I will be in the village nearby, Wishah I think it's called, and I'm leaving for Tyrannia at the dawn. I hope to see you then," and with that, Flint turned and left, leaving Magax staring after him. _Let's see if this is not one cookie he will go after._

Magax put a hand to a tree and looked up into the branches. How long had it been since he had last left it? Not since he'd left Nox. Nox rarely left the Haunted Woods ever since Magax turned against him, so he had never had any reason to. Yes, the last time he had left was before he'd left Nox, under his orders. To do his bidding. To destroy something or other. That's what it had always been, anyway.

That's why he had left.

Magax sighed. He put his back against the tree and slid down, looking up at the roof of leaves and branches that had sheltered him for so long. His mind turned back to the suggestion - what was his name? He hadn't given any, had he? - that the Skeith had made.

The suggestion seemed agreeable. Nox had found allies and was, undoubtedly, even stronger than before; so Magax, in turn, should find allies of his own in order to continue fighting the necromancer. This would help himself as well as the people he was allying with, plus bring Magax out and into the world.

The problem was, was Magax ready for that?

Had he done enough? This opportunity to get back into the world seemed... too good for him. After all he had done, all the damage that could never be undone, did he deserve going back into the world? Fighting Nox had a form of self-exile for Magax, protecting Neopets without dealing with them, giving aid without asking for anything in return. He had learned a lot and the exile was probably good for him, giving him a chance to learn just what it meant to be good, feeling the weight of his sins and turning them into his resolve instead of letting it weigh his down. He had always believed that the Faeries would never, _could_ never, forgive him for what he had done all those years ago... so instead of seeking forgiveness, he at least wanted to make a difference. By taking away his most valuable soldier and becoming his biggest menace, Magax had effectively put to a halt Nox's advance on the world; that first time and all the times to follow. It didn't undo his previous, unpardonable actions, but he liked to think that he had done the world some good.

So now, decades after he had turned away from Nox, _had he done enough?_ Was there even such a thing? Could he allow himself to step out into the world and embrace living? Did he deserve that?

And then, of course, this wasn't all about him. For the first time in his life, Magax had to make allowance for someone else.

Magax would never have allowed himself to take on a companion, no matter what. But under the circumstances... Rosemary _needed _him. There was no one else to protect her; all logic and sense pointed out that the best thing was for Rosemary to join him, helping to protect the world from Nox and keeping the Eyrie safe at the same time. No other event would have made Magax accept her as a partner. And... he found he liked it. Having a partner, a... friend. And, despite the piles of guilt it caused him, he couldn't help but be grateful of the events that lead to this. Some part of him had wondered - could this possibly be a sign that he was forgiven? Had fate decided he had proven himself and granted him a friend? It seemed fanciful and silly, but still...

And now this Skeith comes along with this suggestion. Was this, again, some sign that he was on the right path?

Footsteps sounded to his right. At the end of the day, this wasn't about him. A decision had to be made, and would not be made by him alone. This was going to affect Rosemary as well, and she had as much a say in things as he did. She was innocent; she deserved to go back into the world.

"Magax?" Rosemary came into view, looking curious and slightly worried. Worried about him? He hadn't been gone for long... "What's wrong? You look troubled."

When had he become so transparent? Perhaps he always had been; Magax had never had much reason to hide his emotions. "The informant who was supposed to meet me today didn't come; someone else came instead." Magax didn't even realize he was being very forward and abrupt; he had something that needed to be said and he said it. Easy.

"Didn't come?" She echoed, with a hint of apprehension, "who came instead? Was it a trap?" This last came out sharply and Rosemary looked ready to bolt at a moment's notice.

Magax thought that that was a silly reaction; if he was getting ready to run, he himself would have been running, wouldn't he? Out loud, though, he simply said, "no, it was someone who had a suggestion for me. For both of us, actually.

"It seems there's a war going on in Tyrannia. The Awakened have joined the fight and Nox is officially with them. The 'Pet who came is the leader of a faction called the Brute Squad; he wants us to join him."

Magax paused to let the words sink in. Then Rosemary said, "so Nox has joined forces with the Awakened? No doubt about it?"

"No."

"Then... I guess this is the perfect chance, isn't it?" Rosemary looked at him, "that what we were doing before: fighting Nox. I mean, if we don't like this Brute Squad (they sound a bit... um... violent) we can just leave and find another way to fight Nox. Right?"

A valid point. Nothing was set in stone; they could just test the waters and make their decision when they got to Tyrannia. Mind made up, Magax nodded, "the Skeith said he would be in the village near here. Let's go tell him our decision."

There was no point in wasting any time, so the two packed up their supplies and went in search of Flint. Finding out that his venture had been a success, Flint was overjoyed and nearly killed poor Rosemary in his very-physical hug of gratitude. Rosemary smiled, though she seemed like she was about to pass out. As for Magax... Flint's huge _presence_ somewhat discomfited him but he was learning. It wasn't horrible, in any case. Just strange.

And that's how, the next day, Magax found himself walking out of the woods, out of the protection of the trees and into the harsh sunlight. It was a comfort to see that Rosemary had similar feelings; already Magax missed the Woods. But he had a job to do, him and Rosemary, and they intended to see it through.


End file.
